Egypt Army Combing Mohandessin Site Of Earlier Shootings

Special forces have entered buildings in the posh neighourhood by Wednesday evening to search for any possible assailants who have not been captured yet following an earlier attack on soldiers in the late afternoon hours, eyewitnesses told Ahram Arabic website.

Earlier in the evening, army soldiers told hundreds of angry residents in the Mohandesssin district they have captured those suspected of opening fire on soldiers earlier Wednesday afternoon, asking residents to let the authorities process the captured individuals.

A live-fire fight had erupted in and around a major commercial building on Battal Ahmed Abdel-Aziz Street late Wednesday afternoon after unknown assailants opened fire from the roof reportedly on an army convoy in the area.

According to the Middle East News Agency (MENA), a security source said that no weapons were found in posession of those arrested. Security forces are now searching the buildings for weapons used in the attack.

Residents were asked by the army to stay away from windows.

Helicopters are hovering over the area where the clashes took place.

At least a few people have been injured in the melee.

“First we heard gunshots at around 3:00pm, but it didn’t last for long so no one cared,” Amr Saber, a banker who works at the building, told Ahram Online.

“An hour later, the gunshots were renewed but were more intense this time around, with the sound of automatic guns and machine guns intermittent.”

“One of our care service guys was downstairs and sustained a wound in his arm… fire rounds have been heard on and off.”

“I and several colleagues went downstairs to take a look; there were army forces deployed near the building but we couldn’t tell what was happening.”

Source : Ahram